Engine starting apparatus



Jan. 26, 1932. w, c ys E AL 1,84%819 ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30. 1926 2 ShBQiLS -ShQGt l Jam. 26, 1932. w. A, QHRYSE ET AL 1,342,819

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. so, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .minimize wear and tor is operated.

"' normal position in which Patented Jan. 26, 1932 VIILLIAM A. CHRYST AND GEORGEWJELSEY, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,ITO DEECO-REMY CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE 'ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Application filed 0ctober30, 1926. Serial No. 145,318.

This invention relates-to apparatus for starting an internahcombustion engine,and more particularly to that typeofapparatus which includes an electric motor operating a shaft which is normally disconnected from the engine, .but may be connected therewith by meansincluding a pinion movable-along the shaft into engagement with the gearand engine to .bc started-and to rotate with the shaft, said connecting means includingprovisions whereby thepinion'will be automatically demeshed from'the engine gear when the engine becomes self-operative.

One object of the present invention is to breakage of the gear teeth by providing manually operablemeans of simple and economical construction for moving the pinion axially intoengagement with the engine gear and for rotating the pinion in case of gear tooth abutment in order that the pinion may be nearly sfully meshed with the engineigear before'the mo- Further objects and advantages of .the

present invention willbe apparent fronrthe following descrlptlon,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein 'a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

in the drawings:

1 is a fragmentary view partly in longitudinal section showing a form of engine starting-apparatus embodying the present invention, the app aratus being shown in the motor pinion is disconnectedfroin the enginegear;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view'on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

F11 3 is a plan view of. a sheet metalpunching used to form one of the elementsofthe apparatus shown in Fig.1;

sis a view similartoFig. 1 showing the apparatus in condition for starting the engine;

Fig. 5 is a view similarto Fig. 1' showing the apparatus after the engine hasbeeome self-operative, but before the manually operable member which controls the starter has been returned to normal position; and

Fig. 6 is-afragmentary sectional view of gear while the pinion retaining means, on a larger scale than the other views.

Referring to the drawings, designates the field frame of an electric motor which is attached by-any suitable means not shown to a housing 21. The field frame 20 and the housing '21 support a shaft 22 which is operated by the electric motor, said shaft-2:2 usually being an extension of the motor armatureshaft. The shaft 22 is provided with spiral splines 23 and that portion of .the splines 23 which is located between the lines 23a and 23?) in Fig. 1 is slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of theremaining spirally splined portion. The shaft 22 is provided with an annular groove 24, which 'lGCGlVQS the wire split ring 25.

The shaft 22 cooperates with thrust washer 26 bearing against a machined surface 27 providedby the housing 21.

A pinion 30, which is provided internally with spiral splines, is mounted to slide longitudinallyalong the shaft 22 into engage ment with the flywheel. gear 31 of an engine to be started. Normally the pinion 30 is out of mesh with engine gear 31 and is supported by that portion of the splines 23 which is of smaller diameter, namely that portion located between the lines 2311 and 23b. The splined portion of smaller diameter is connected with the splined portion of larger diameter by shoulder portions 32, which serve 'as obstructions tending to prevent drifting of the pinion into engagement with engine the engine is running. hen the pinion is in full mesh with the engine gear, the wire split ring will be receivedby an annular groove 33 provided on the interior of the pinion hub. As the pinion is moved toward the right of the drawings into engagement with the ring 25, said ring is first engaged by anannular abutment. 3a of smaller internal diameter than the normal external diameterof the ring 25. As the pinion is forced against the ring, the ring will be contracted slightly in order that the obstrnctionfi i may pass over it. Then the ringwill expand into the grooves 33. hen

the engine becomes self-operative and the pinion is automatically demeshed from the engine gear, the ring 25 will contract again to permit the obstruction 34 to pass beyond it. In this way the pinion is yieldingly maintained in substantially full mesh with the engine gear so that, during the engine cranking operation, axial movement of the pinion due to variation in the torque required to crank the engine will be practically eliminated. It is therefore apparent that the ring 25 serves as a stop, limiting the movement of the pinion 50 toward the right of the drawings and also as a member for yieldingly maintaining the pinion in full mesh with the engine gear.

The housing 21 supports a bolt or stub shaft 40 which provides a ournal for the hub 41 of a manually operable lever 42. The arm 42a of the lever 42 is so located as to engage the plunger 43 of a starting motor switch 44, the casing 45 of which is secured to the field frame 20'by screws 46. The lever arm 42a is connected with a pedal 47 which extends through a cup-shaped member 48 carried by the floor board 49 of the automobile. A sprin 50, which is located between the member 48 and the head of the rod 47, tends to maintain the lever 42 in the position shown in Fig. 1.

In order that the pinion 80 may be moved into mesh with the engine gear 81 before the motor switch is closed, means are provided for transmitting motion from the lever 42 to the pinion 30 so that the pinion will be moved endwise into mesh with gear 31 and will be rotated in case the teeth of the pinion collide with the end faces of the teeth of the gear 31, said means being so constructed and arranged that the motor switch cannot be losed until the pinion has been substantially meshed with the engine gear and that there will be no interference with demeshing of the pinion from the engine gear after the engine starts, although the lever 42 may still be maintained in operating position. The motion transmitting means comprise chiefly two members which are connected for movement together longitudinally of the shaft so that one of the members may engage the pinion 30 to move it into mesh wi h the gear 31, the connection between said membersbeing such that in case motion of the pinion is arrested by the engine gear, one of the members will impart rotary motion to the other member which engages the pinion. The pinion en gaging member and pinion provide axially engaging clutching devices so that the rotary motion produced by motion transmitting means will be imparted to the pinion. One of the motion transmitting members is a pin or stud 51 which is attached to the arm 42?) of the lever 42, and the other member is a sleeve 52 which is provided with a slot 53 located obliquely to the axis of the shaft 42 and adapted to receive the pin 51.

The sleeve 52 is provided with teeth 54 which function as a driving clutch member for axially engaging a driven clutch member provided by beveling, as shown at 55 in Fig. 4, the ends of the teeth of the pinion 30 in order to provide clutch teeth 56. In the particular form of the invention shown in the drawings the pinion is a nine tooth pinion and hence is provided with nine clutch teeth 56. The sleeve 52 may be provided with nine teeth 54, but, if it is desirable to reduce the maximum of lost rotary motion between the clutch members, the sleeve may have a multiple of the number of teeth 56, for example eighteen teeth, as shown.

The sleeve 52 is formed preferably from a blank or punching of flat sheet material as shown in Fig. 3. The blank is provided initially with the teeth 54 and the slot 53 and with a dovetail tang 57 adapted to be received by dovetail notch 58. The blank shown in Fig. 3 is formed into a cylinder, the tang 57 being received by the notch 58 in order to prevent opening the joint of the cylinder. The sleeve 52 is supported by a hub 60, having spaced flanges 61 and 62 so as to define an annular space 63 which may receive one end of the pin 51. The flange 62 is provided with an annular groove 64 and the wall of the sleeve 52 is forced into the groove 64 as indicated by the annular groove 65 in the sleeve. This construction tends to stiffen the sleeve, to prevent it unfolding from sylindrical form and to prevent relative longitudinal movement between the hub and the sleeve.

The method of using the invention is as follows:

Normally the starting apparatus is in the position shown in Fig. 1 in which the pinion 30 is demeshed from the engine gear and the motor switch is open. To start the engine the pedal 47 is depressed thereby causing the lever 42 to rotate counter-clockwise in order to move the pin 51 and the sleeve 52 longitudinally of the shaft and to the right of the drawings. The slot 53 is a spiral of variable pitch and the pin 51 engages that portion of the slot wall which is the lesser in pitch so that, initially, the tendency of the pin to move the sleeve 52 longitudinally is greater than the tendency to rotate the sleeve;

therefore the sleeve 52 will move toward the right andthe clutch teeth 54 will engage the clutch teeth 56 provided by the pinion 30. In case the pinion teeth abut the ends of the gear teeth, motion of the sleeve 52 will be arrested; but, if the operator continues to press the pedal 47, the pinion 30 will be rotated due to the cooperation of the pin 51 with the spiral slot 53 of the sleeve. lVhen the pinion teeth register with the gear tooth space of the gear 31, the pinion 30 will move into mesh with the gear 31. After the pinion 30 has been nearly fully meshed with the gear 31, the lever arm 42a will engage the switch plunger 43 and the motor switch 44 will be Ill closed. When this occurs, the shaft 22 will be rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed from the right of the drawings and as indicated by the arrows 70 in Figs. 1 and 4, thereby causing the pinion to be moved away from the sleeve 52 and into engagement with the ring 25, then the pinion 30 will rotate with the shaft 22 and the engine gear 31 will be rotated to crank the engine.

When the engine becomes self-operative the pinion will be automatically demeshed. Demeshing will occur although the operator may maintain pressure upon the pedal 47, asit is apparent from Figs. 1 and 5 that the sleeve 52 is free to move toward the left in order not to interfere with the demeshing of the pinion. While the pin and slot connections between the sleeve and the lever permit movement of the sleeve by the pinion when the pinion is demeshed from the engine gear, this operation does not always occur. It happens more frequently that the sleeve 52 is returned to normal position before the engine becomes self-operative. This feature of the invention is due to the fact that there is always some friction between the sleeve hub and the shaft 22; therefore when the shaft 22 is operated by the motor, the hub 60 and the sleeve 52 will be rotated in the direction of the arrow while the pin 51 is maintained in the position shown in Fig. 4. Consequently the rotation ofthe shaft 22 before the engine becomes self-operative will cause the sleeve 52 to be threaded along the pin 51 and to be moved into the normal or non.- operating position shown in Fig. 5. Therefore demeshing of the pinion 32 will take place without any engagement between the clutch teeth 54 and 56.

After the operator releases the pedal 47, the spring 50 will be released to move the pedal upwardly and to return the lever 42 to the position shown in Fig. 1. During this operation a spring 43a will be released to move the switch plunger 4:3 from the position shown in Fig. i to that shown in Fig. 1 in order to open the motor switch.

Means cooperating with the sleeve and the shaft 22 are provided for resisti the tendency of the sleeve to rotate at the beginning of its movement from non-operating position, or toward the right from the position shown in Fig. 1. This means comprises a metal brake disc fixed to the shaft 22 a floating disc 81 of yicldable material, such as cork, and a brake disc 82 attached to the sleeve hub 60. Disc 82 is provided with a hole for receiving a tang 83 provided by the sleeve 52, in order drivingly to connect said disc and sleeve. The parts 80, 81 and 82 are maintained normally in engagement by the spring 50 which urges the lever arm a2?) toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1. Hence, normally, the brake members 80, 81 and 82 tend to maintain the sleeve 52 fixed relative to the shaft 22.

When the lever arm 42?) begins its n 'i'QillQni] toward the right, the brake members are apparently not instantly disengaged, but tend to resist rotation of the sleeve 52 after the sleeve has begun to move toward the right. Apparently the cork disc 81 expands axially sufficiently to maintain friction between the brake members after motion of the sleeve has begun. Since resistance to endwise movement of the sleeve is overcome before removing resistance to rotation of the sleeve, the tendency of the sleeve to move endwise will be greater,

initially than the tendency for the sleeve to rotate. Hence the possibility of the sleeve rotating without moving endwise has been minimized.

The brake members 80, S1 and 82 cooperate with the pinion shifting mechanism for the further purpose of bringing the motor shaft 22 quickly to rest after the operator releases the pedal 47. it is apps en-t that the spring 50 will urge the brake member 82 toward the brake members 81 and 80. Since the brake member 82 is prevented from rotating freely with the shaft of the inion 51 wi h the sleeve 52, the bra disc 82 will function as a stationary brake member cooperating with the movable brake discs quickly to arrest motion of shaft In the engine should make a raise start, that is, if the engine should become self-oper ative for a time sufficient to demesh the pinion 30 from the gear 31 but should not continue to be self-operative, the operator not need to wait for a subs'antial period to elapse for the motor shaft to stop rotating before repeating the pinion shifting operation. in case of a false start, the oper may release the pedal to restore the gear ing mechanism to normal condition, and then may almost immediately depress the pedal to repeat the starting operation.

In order to increase friction between t sleeve 52 and the shat and to insure t automatic retraction of the sleeve pinion when the motor oper hub 60 carries a spring press bearing against the shaft 22 Fig. 1.

In case of back-lire during the gear meshing operation, the pinion will be moved toward the right from the posit' n shown in Fig. at, and out of engagement with the sleeve clutch teeth.

ption of the cen- J.

ates the sleet l )lunger n on t From the foregoi descri struction and mode of Opelfilel-Oll of the resent invention, it Will be apparent that the invention possesses the advantages of simplicity and durability of construein and reliability of operation. The number of parts required for the starter drive is V61 and they may be constructed and at very low cost.

ct Owing to he snnpncity of construction the p rts may be made relatively rugged and substantial and therefore J a J5, 22 by 10215011 or engagement will from the as shown in very durable. lVith this form of invention the starter pinion is meshed with the engine gear before the motor operated, hence liability of danger to the gear teeth has been substantially reduced. The pinion may be demeshed from the engine gear automatically, should the operator forget to release the starter pedal when the engine becomes self-operative. Since the starter drive provides no obstruction to the demeshing movement of the pinion the apparatus will be relatively quiet in operation.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; a shaft operated by the motor; means for connecting the shaft with the gear of an engine to be started and including a pinion moui ted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and having a hub which is directly driven by the shaft and which remains drivingly connected with the shaft for all positions of the pinion and provisions whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the engine gear when the engine starts; and manually operable means for shifting the pinion endwise into mesh with the engine gear and for rotating the pinion in case the pinion teeth collide with the engine gear teeth, said means in cluding two members movable along the shaft, one of said members being rotatable, and one of said members having a part located oblique to the direction of bodily motion of said members and engaged by the other member whereby t e rotatable, annally operable member may be rotated by the other member when moved along the shaft, and means for connecting the rotatable member with the pinion.

2. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; a shaft operated by the motor; means for connecting the shaft with the gear of an engine to be started and including a pinion mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and having a hub which is directly driven by the shaft and which remains drivingly connected with the shaft for all positions of the pinion and provisions whereb the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the engine gear when the engine starts; a device for shifting the pinion endwise into mesh with the engine gear and for rotating the pinion in case the pinion teeth collide with the engine gear teeth, said device including two members movable longitudinally of the shaft, said members having an oblique slot and pin connection with each other for movement together longitudinally of the shaft and for angular movement one relative to the other when longitudinal movement of one of the members is obstructed, said member being adapted to shift the pinion longitudinally and to rotate the pinion, and manually operable means for actuating said device. p

3. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; a shaft operated by the motor; means for connecting the shaft with the gear of an engine to be started and including a pinion mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and having a hub which is directly driven by the shaft and which remains drivingly connected with the shaft for all positions of the pinion and provisions whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the engine gear when the engine starts; a device for shifting the pinion endwise into mesh with the engine gear and for rotating the pinion in case the pinion teeth collide with the engine gear teeth, said device including a sleeve movable along t 1e shaft and provided with a slot oblique to the shaft, and a pin movable longitudinally of the shaft and engaging the slot, whereby the pin and sleeve may move together to move the pinion into mesh with the y the sleeve may be engine gear and who b rotated in case movement thereof is obstructed, said sleeve and pinion having clutching means for imparting rotation to the pinion, and manually operable means for actuating said device.

4;. Engine starting apparatus according to claim 8 in which the sleeve is provided with a toothed clutch portion which engages a toothed clutch portion provided by the pin- 1011. r

5. Engine starting apparatus according to claim 8 in which the sleeve is provided with a toothed clutch portion which engages clutch teeth provided by the ends of the pinion teeth adjacent the sleeve.

6. Engine starting apparatus according to claim 3 in which the slot in the sleeve is variable in pitch from lesser pitch to greater pitch and the pin normally engages the portion of the slot wall which is lesser in pitch, so that initially the tendency of the pin to move the sleeve endwise is greater than the tendency to rotate the sleeve.

7. Engine starting apparatus according to claim 8 in which the slot in the sleeve is so arranged that rotation of the sleeve by the shaft when driven by the motor in the predetermined direction of rotation for starting the engine will cause the sleeve to be moved away from the pinion.

8. Engine starting apparatus according to claim 3 in which the pinion is connected with the motor shaft by spiral splines thereon, and in which the lead of the slot in the sleeve is the same in direction as the lead of the splines on the shaft.

9. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; a motor switch; a

shaft having spiral splines driven by the motor; a pinion having. its hub. directly drivenby thesplined portion of the shaft and slidable therealong into mesh with an engine gear; a manually operable member for clor 'ng the motor switch; and means for transmitt ng motion from the manually op,- erable mcmbe" to the pinion to mesh the pinion'with the gear,- said means preventing closing the motor switch until aft r the pinion partly meshes with the gear, andsaid means including a pin element and an element having a slot oblique to the shaft and engaged by the pin said elements being movable together along the shaft, and one of them engagable with the pinion and having provisions adapted to impart rotation to the pinion in case the pinion teeth collide with the engine gear teeth.

10. Engine starting apparatus according to claim 9 in which the element having the slot oblique to the shaft is a sleeve slidable along the shaft and in which the pin which projects into the slot is supported by the manually operable member, said sleeve and pinion having axially engageable clutch members whereby the sleeve may impart rotation to the pinion in case the pinion teeth collide with the engine gear teeth.

11. Engine starting apparatus comprising in combination, a motor; a motor switch mounted upon the motor field frame; a housing extending from one end of the motor frame; a shaft driven by the motor and supported by the motor frame and housing and provided with a spirally splined portion; a pinion having its hub directly connected with said splined portion of the shaft; a lever pivoted on the housing and adapted to 0p erate the motor switch and having an arm extending within the housing and carrying a pin movable longitudinally of the shaft; a sleeve movable along the shaft and having a spiral slot receiving the pin; and axially engageable clutching means provided by the sleeve and pinion whereby the pinion will be rotated in case the pinion teeth abut the engine gear.

12. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; a motor switch mounted upon the motor field frame; a housing extending from one end of the motor frame; a shaft driven by the motor and supported by the motor frame and housing and provided -ith a spirally splined portion; a pinion having its hub directly connected with said splined portion of the shaft, axially engageahre driving and driven clutch members, the driven member being provided by the pinion; a device for engaging the clutch members to move the pinion endwise into mesh with the engine gear and for rotating the clutch members in easethe pinion teeth abut the engine gear teeth; manually operable means for causing said device to meshthe pinion with the gear and then for causing the switch-to-be closed; and means responsive to the operation of the motor while cranking the engine for causing'the d 'ivingf clutch member to be retracted from the drivcnclutch member.

13. Engine starting apparatus, comprising, in combination, a motor; a shaft operated by the motor; means for connecting the shaft witn the gear of an engine to be started and including a pinion. mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and having a hub which is directly driven the shaft-and which remains. drivingly connected with the shaft for all positions of the pinion and provisions whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the engine [gear when the engine starts; and manually operable means for shifting the pinion endwise int-o mesh with the engine ge'ar and for rotating the pinion in case. the pinion teeth collide with the engine gear teeth, said means including a pin movable longitudinally of the shaft and extending through an oblique slot pre-formed in a sheet metal piece formed into a cylinder andsupported by a hub slidable along the shaft.

14; Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; a shaft operated by the motor; means for connecting the shaft with thegearof an engine to be started and including a pinion mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary :movement therewith and provisions whereby the pinion will beautomatically fdemeshed fromthe engine gear when the engine starts; means for moving the pinion along theshaft; and means for yieldingly retaining thepinion in a certain position relative to thefshaft, saidmeans including aresilient split ring member engageable with an'annular abutment member, one of said-members being carried by the shaft and the other by thepinion, the part carrying the splitring having a groove into which the ring is forced by'engagement with the abut- ,lnent member. v

15. Engine. starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; a shaft operated by the motor; means. for connecting the shaft with the gear of an engine to be started and including a pinion mounted on theshaft for'longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and provisions whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the engine gear when theengine starts; means for moving the pinionalong the shaft; ant means for yield ingly retaining the pinion in a certain position' relative tothe shaft, said means including a resilient split ring member carried by the shaft within an annular groove and an annular abutment member provided internally of the pinion'hub and having'its inincluding a pinion mounted on the shaft for v longitudmal movement thereof and rotary movementtherewith and provisions whereby the pinion will-be automatically demeshed from the engine gear when the engine starts; a device for shifting the pinion 'endwise into mesh with the engine gear and for rotating the pinion in case the pinion teeth collide with the engine gear teeth, said device including a sleeve movable along the shaft and provided with a slot oblique to theshaft, and a pin movable longitudinally of the shaft and'engaging the slot, whereby the pin and sleeve may move together to move the pinion into mesh with the engine gear and whereby the sleeve may be rotated in case movement thereof isobstructed, said sleeve and pinion having clutching means for imparting rotation to the pinion; manually operable means for actuating said device; and means tending to resist rotation of the sleeverelative to the shaft I at the beginning of the movement of the sleeve from its non-operating or normal position.

17. Engine starting apparatus according to i signatures.

" WILLIAM A. CHRYST.

GEORGE W. ELSEY.

claim 16 in which a brake is provided between 1 the sleeve and the shaft, said brake including a friction disc of yieldable material, and in which a spring cooperates with th-e manually operable means to urge the sleeve into nonoperating position and into operative engagement with said brake, said friction disc expan ding axially at the beginning of the move ment of the sleeve from non-operating posi tion for the purpose specified.

18. Engine starting apparatus comprising, 111 combination, a motor; a shaft operated by the motor; means for connecting the shaft with the gear of an engine to'be started and including a pinion mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and provisions whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the engine gear when the engine starts a device for shifting the pinion endwise into mesh with the'engine gear and for rotating the pinion in case the pinion teeth collide with may move together to move the pinion into mesh with the engine'gear and whereby the sleeve maybe rotated in case movement there of is obstructed, said sleeve and pinion having clutching means for imparting rotation to the pinion; manually operable means for actuating said device; cooperating axially engageable brake members connected respec-' 

